This is another trade union / media scare story based on deliberate misrepresentation of the data. It follows from another in the Record, two weeks ago and explanation is the same. See this:
In the Record two days ago, the report of a tragic error. Without knowing the whole story, I hesitate but it does look like a mistake was made.
However, the report had these features:
Yesterday the man’s heartbroken family, who asked not to be identified, called for answers on the “despicable” delay in getting him emergency treatment.
And Helena’s husband Graham, 67, called for government action to tackle ambulance waiting times.
Last week the Daily Record told how there has been in increase in the number of urgent 999 calls not seeing an ambulance quickly – with about three in 10 patients now waiting longer than 10 minutes for medics to arrive.
Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie called the two cases “harrowing” and said they showed “the lives of Scots have been put at risk due to the SNP’s failure to re-mobilise the NHS and support ambulance services”.
She added: “Ambulance services are overwhelmed, A&E is in crisis, staff are crying out for support and Humza Yousaf is missing in action. It is all too clear that he has lost control.
“Humza Yousaf should apologise to these families but he must also own up to the crisis unfolding and stop it spiralling further out of control.
“If the SNP fails to support our frontline services, lives will be put at risk. They must act and act now.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/four-hour-ambulance-delay-death-24806868
Politicising a death
So, first, straight to the top, bypassing the head of the ambulance service who is directly responsible, to an opposition MP who may or may not have fed the story to the Record and who may or may not have groomed the family for this purpose as Anas Sarwar may or may not have groomed the family of a dead child in a campaign to unseat the Health Secretary, Jeanne Freeman.
This immediate politicising of a single health incident is a regular tactic in the Scottish MSM especially Reporting Scotland but it is almost entirely absent in Wales, Northern Ireland or England where repeated and much larger, more serious, cases of failure are reported without any mention of the politicians ultimately responsible in those countries. You can see the evidence here:
and here:
Ignoring ambulance facts
Second, on the claim ‘there has been in increase in the number of urgent 999 calls not seeing an ambulance quickly’, this is either deliberate misrepresentation or uneducated.
SAS told us in February 2019:
The Scottish Ambulance Service changed the way it responds to the most unwell patients in 2016 with 999 call handlers giving the highest priority to incidents such as cardiac arrests. An evaluation of the changes has found the system has saved the equivalent of 1182 lives. Under the new system, call handlers are taking longer on the phone to despatch paramedics and some lower priority calls are waiting longer for an ambulance. A Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives revealed that an additional 62 patients were saved in Lothian as a result of the changes in 2017.
How significant are the figures reported? The SAS responds to around 1.8 million calls per year. That’s around 4 900 per day.
Talking-up Scotland 
There’s a triage system. The FM said “The Ambulance Service is responding to high priority calls in an average of 9 minutes. That’s not good enough, it should be 7 minutes.”
I don’t have time to research it, but I wonder what happens in good ole England and Wales?
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We have to keep highlighting the differences in the way these matters are ‘found’ and reported by BBC Scotland, in contrast to the other devolved broadcasters (and England!).
This site does sterling work on such matters, but we all need to be spreading this stuff ourselves – or we will be up against it come Indyref2.
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Nine minutes on average to wait for an ambulance. That is amazing, Many people live 40 minutes away or more from a depot. They could not get there any quicker. Paramedics are also involved in getting to critical patients even before an ambulance. They can be see in local areas awaiting a call. GDocs and police get get out quick in an emergency. They have specialist training for immediate care. Some people wait too long. Instead of getting a lift or priority transport getting to hospital accident and emergency quicker. .
Air ambulance service is involved as well getting patients to hospital as soon as possible. There are defibrillators installed at various locations. Emergency services and others are trained to use them. ‘Staying alive, staying alive’. Bee Gees rhythm. School children are now being show and instructed on first aid application. They are given guidance in healthy living and domestic science (cooking). Many unionists and their cronies are on Hospital Boards.
The NHS has brilliant care. £139Billion to £149Billion. funding One of the biggest employers. Health should be a priority. Prevention is better than cure. Health, education and welfare. Top priorities for society. A more equal society is more cohesive and happier. A democratic society with Gov intervention for fairness. They are the most cohesive and happier worldwide. Under Austerity, Brexit and Tory policies life expectancy is going down in the South. More people are dying prematurely because of Westminster unionist policies.
1/2 million + die on average a year in the UK. Most from old age. 50,000+ on average due in Scotland, More in the winter than the summer. Women outlive men by five years on average worldwide. Japan 85 years has one of the highest life expectancy. Spain 84. US 78. China 76. UK 79.
Mediterranean diet. Or veggie/fish diet are healthy. Government policy can increase health outcomes. Finland had the highest heart attack rate in the world. Government policies influenced more lifestyle, diet changes. Now the people are much healthier. The suicide rate has fallen. Once the highest in the world.
Scotland has more elderly as a % of the pop by comparison. Scotland needs migration to boost the pop. The pop has remained the same from 1900’s and before. 5million. Until Devolution 2000. Increased to 5.4million. Only 21years ago. Brexit will ruin the Scottish economy. If nothing is done. To renegotiate the terms and commitment.
Some politicians need to make lifestyle changes or have counselling for obesity. Instead of lecturing others on healthcare services. A heart attack or stroke waiting to happen putting a strain on services. Labour did not support MUP or smoking ban saving lives.
Gov old age pension should be increased. To save on top up benefits and give dignity and respect. The lowest in Europe. The administration costs more than the pay out. It would save monies. Elderly women are the most likely to live in lower one person income household . Not a great way for people to treat their mothers and others as main carers. They gave them life and made sacrifices so people could prosper. Women unrepresented 30%.
If Scotland was Independent (Gov) old age pension could be increased easily. Less costly. Less spent on Westminster bad decisions. and mismanagement. Social, foreign and economic decisions ruing the world economy. The Westminster unionists sycophants destruction. Brexit and Austerity. The UK one of the most unequal places in the world,
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People 90+ years old have outlived others. On average by 10+ years. They could have died in an ambulance on the way to hospital or in hospital. 100 is a milestone. It can be frustrating or painful as health deteriorates. Death puts an end to some people suffering. Some people would rather die than suffer.
Urban myth? People’s recorded last words. ‘They wished they had not worked so much’. A promotion for a four day week. Or less working hour week. Job share, childcare share etc. Less babies being born in Europe and other countries . Population without migration in decline. Japan, (126million). One of the most densely populated places in the world. Relatively small island. China (one child policy) etc. Women unrepresented.
Osbourne saw the bullet train. Needed in Japan. Larger population with lower land mass (pro rata). HS2 a total waste of monies with no business case. Not enough customers. Always subsidised. To expensive. The monies could be better spent improving the railways in the North and Scotland to cut journey times throughout Britain. They take nearly twice as long by comparison with those in the South. Historical under investment. More Tory total incompetence wasting £Billions of public monies,m that could be better spent. The Tory slush fund. The British/Chinese consortium. Cameron and others hands in the till. Illegal and corrupt.
Johnston now put the NI burden on the poorer. Instead of through progressive taxation system for social care. Already extended in Scotland. So people can live longer in their own homes. Extended personal care. More cost affective with support.
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